Chandra Bennington sub teacher slaps boy 12 at Explorer K-8 School

**Sister Iroz** · March 24th, 2009, 06:12 AM

SPRING HILL — A classroom argument escalated quickly at Explorer K-8 School, with a substitute teacher yelling and a 12-year-old boy screaming. Each got into the other's face, and neither was willing to capitulate, authorities said.

But there's little dispute that it became physical. Chandra Bennington smacked the boy across the face, according to a report from the Hernando County Sheriff's Office.

Bennington, 34, of Spring Hill, was served with a misdemeanor citation Thursday. She has a court date April 15.

Bennington and the student got into an argument during class at Explorer K-8 School on March 13, according to the incident report. The student, who isn't being named because he is a juvenile, allegedly asked Bennington if he could be excused from class to speak with a friend on another floor of the school.

When Bennington refused, the boy loudly protested, according to the report. Five student witnesses said Bennington then approached the student at his desk, screamed at him and slapped him hard enough that "a smacking sound" was heard.

Bennington later disputed that version of events:

She said things began to fall apart after she assigned her fifth-period class to "compare and contrast two women from history, after reading two stories that were both two pages long."

"(The 12-year-old boy) didn't start on his work until halfway through class, since he was constantly talking," she said. "I made it a point to tell him that he needed to get his work done."

With about 15 minutes left in class, Bennington said, the youth demanded a hall pass to go speak with a friend. When she denied the request and offered to call the friend herself, Bennington said, the boy began "yelling and pushing the issue."

As she attempted to call a student resource officer for help, Bennington said, the student moved closer and got into her face.

The boy demanded to know whom she was calling and kept approaching her, the teacher said. That's when she brought her hand up to push him away and "tapped his cheek," Bennington told deputies.

Bennington said the boy pushed her with his body, and told her he "did this because he hates me." She also told deputies, that the boy told her that "I was anorexic and he could snap me in half like a twig." Bennington is listed as 5-foot-4 and 98 pounds.

Authorities declined to press assault and battery charges against the student because the allegation didn't rise to the level of battery and five witnesses corroborated his claim that he bumped Bennington to get away from her, said sheriff's spokeswoman Sgt. Donna Black.

One witness took a picture on a cell phone of the student's face that showed some redness, according to the report.

School officials say Bennington, who started working in Hernando in July, is no longer eligible to work in the county as a substitute teacher. She has been suspended from working in Pasco until the case has been resolved.

Bennington has no prior criminal history.

http://www.tampabay.com/news/publics...icle986484.ece

I feel this boy egged her on but that doesn't mean she should have slapped him. She did attempt to call a resource officer but it doesn't say if she got through because the boy apparently got back in her face. So my thinking is get him out of the class and send him up to the office. If she could call for an officer she could call up to the office and tell them what is going on and that she is sending him up there right? I don't know if most rooms have a way of contacting the office but to me this child was acting belligerent and she needed help.

**seductress** · March 24th, 2009, 01:15 PM

What Special said

**tonilj80** · March 24th, 2009, 05:22 PM

This is why I decided not to be a teacher. I do not have enough patience and apparently she doesn't either!

**Insomniac** · March 24th, 2009, 08:18 PM

Teaching is a harder job than most people assume it is, especially with children in the 8-14 year group.
However, that does not absolve Ms. Bennington of blame for assaulting her student. She should have been able to remain calm and contact a school security guard. Maybe she should consider a different occupation, one where she has no contact with children at all.

**VickyStarr** · March 24th, 2009, 10:07 PM

Hm, I'm kind of torn on this one. A few months ago, there was an argument between my English teacher and one of the students (a student who has had many behavioral issues in the past - he ended up getting expelled because of this). It got to the point where he stood up and walked toward her, yelling. She pressed the button to call the resource officer, and he took a swing at her (I and everyone else in that class watched him). She backed up and he missed, and she threw her cup of coffee at him. I honestly think he would have taken another swing if a couple of the guys in the class hadn't stood up and pushed him away.

He later told the police that he was "just playing", that it was a mock punch and that he would have never really hit her, and tried to twist it to make it sound as if she had started it and went too far. Yeah, whatever. So if it happened sort of like that, if she felt intimidated enough, I could see why she would slap him.

On the other hand, I wasn't at this incident and have no knowledge of the student or teacher, so I'm still undecided. We had a teacher a few years ago who would fly off the handle at the smallest disturbance, throwing things and cussing because a kid didn't raise her hand before answering. So I guess it could go either way, but I feel more inclined to feel for the teacher rather than the student, based on the information provided.

I'm working on my debating skills if anyone cares, so that's why I wrote all this. :P

**dmax** · September 14th, 2009, 10:46 PM

This little fucker made me think of Angela Beck's son for some reason. Maybe, because he is 12, too. Remember the Angela Beck thread, from a couple of days ago? The broad whose 12 year old spawn flipped off the lady for saying, "Hello".

**Just my luck sucks** · September 14th, 2009, 11:01 PM

"(The 12-year-old boy) didn't start on his work until halfway through class, since he was constantly talking," she said. "I made it a point to tell him that he needed to get his work done."

The little shit was disrupting the entire class.

With about 15 minutes left in class, Bennington said, the youth demanded a hall pass to go speak with a friend. When she denied the request and offered to call the friend herself, Bennington said, the boy began "yelling and pushing the issue

The little shit acted out in a confrontational and disrespectful manner.

As she attempted to call a student resource officer for help, Bennington said, the student moved closer and got into her face.

The little shit acted in a threating manner.

Had he been "my" little shit, I would be pleading with the school to reinstate the teacher, and when I got the little SOB home he'd have hell to pay.

Then again, if he was one of my children this drama would never have occurred in the first place. Children need to be raised to respect teachers, and do what is asked of them. The problem is the little shit, not the teacher.

**Chaindrive** · September 14th, 2009, 11:32 PM

Originally Posted by dmax

This little fucker made me think of Angela Beck's son for some reason. Maybe, because he is 12, too. Remember the Angela Beck thread, from a couple of days ago? The broad whose 12 year old spawn flipped off the lady for saying, "Hello".

Oh yeah. Her child don't take no shit.

My dog is better behaved than Ms. Beck's child.

**sheevaa** · September 15th, 2009, 01:49 AM

This is one of the reasons I don't have kids :)

**dmax** · September 15th, 2009, 02:17 AM

This is one of the reasons I don't have a teacher :)

**curethispain** · September 15th, 2009, 12:45 PM

My spanish teacher in high school resigned because he got in trouble for flipping out on a student...leaving scratch marks. He was one of my favorite teachers and most students were HORRIBLE to him....I was so mad when I heard because the kids deserved it. As a mother, I suppose I shouldn't say that this one deserved it, at 12, he wouldn't. One thing though...my children (although young) will be taught to respect people in authority. Period. I always did, no matter how mad I got.

**moonlilly1981** · September 15th, 2009, 02:33 PM

If this was my child.......I would have whooped the piss out of him. Parents need to teach their children respect and they dont and wont.

**AngelFire** · September 15th, 2009, 03:38 PM

Originally Posted by moonlilly1981

If this was my child.......I would have whooped the piss out of him. Parents need to teach their children respect and they dont and wont.

No shiznit. This boy saw nothing wrong in yelling at the teacher and getting in her face. It's just a matter of time before HE assaults somebody too. But that teacher is wrong in slapping the little shit

**Vanik** · September 15th, 2009, 07:36 PM

Update: http://blogs.tampabay.com/breakingne...e-teacher.html

Prosecutors have dropped charges against a former Hernando County substitute teacher who was accused of getting into a physical altercation with a 12-year-old student.

In an interview Wednesday, Bennington said she only “tapped” the boy and that he was trying to exact revenge against her for previously punishing him. “He did this as a way to get back at me,” Bennington said. “I tapped him … but that was it. And I learned a lesson from it.”

Assistant State Attorney Don Barbee, the supervising prosecutor in Brooksville, said Thursday the teacher held custodial authority for the boy, including the ability to discipline him. “So while it certainly may have violated school board policies, it didn’t violate the law,” he said.

I don't believe. While I get that the student was out of hand and she was calling for assistance, or was up to her ears in wanting him out of the room and/or behaving. You NEVER touch a student. If you'd all recall, anothers student took a picture of the RED MARK. Obviously this bitch hit this child (NOT HER OWN KID!!) hard enough to leave a red mark. That's not a love tap. That's actually hitting the kid. Kids can be vindictive, sure. But not vindictive enough to know to call the cops for touching him, taking a photo, and knowing EXACTLY what to say to get her into trouble...or hell even convincing the rest of his class to vouch for him.

More information: http://www.tampabay.com/news/publics...icle986484.ece

With about 15 minutes left in class, Bennington said, the youth demanded a hall pass to go speak with a friend.

She did this at the end of class.

Five student witnesses said Bennington then approached the student at his desk, screamed at him and slapped him hard enough that "a smacking sound" was heard.

Not one witness like she said was only the boy for revenge, but FIVE.

School officials say Bennington, who started working in Hernando in July, is no longer eligible to work in the county as a substitute teacher. She has been suspended from working in Pasco until the case has been resolved.

She can't work in the county anymore, and hasn't even been a sub that long before this happened. Seems to me like if this was a complete stranger (not a teacher/sub), you all would be up in arms about it...not defending a bitch. That's someone's kid, and it's wrong.

Have fun with the updates. :)

**Eagles Mom** · September 15th, 2009, 08:42 PM

Every year since the Princess started school we would go to the meet the teacher night. I would introduce the child and myself saying "This is my child and this is my phone number. If you have ANY issues, please let me know.

Several teachers told me it was "those" kids they never had any problems with in class.

**sheevaa** · September 15th, 2009, 10:29 PM

Kids can be vindictive, sure. But not vindictive enough to know to call the cops for touching him, taking a photo, and knowing EXACTLY what to say to get her into trouble...or hell even convincing the rest of his class to vouch for him.

I do very much believe that kid could do that. Kids can be VERY vindictive and go along with something just for the chaos of it. They sure as hell know to start threatening their parents with CFS/CPS when they get older and aren't getting what they want. Those witnesses could be the kids' friends. I'm sorry, but I could see it happening. Gang up on an evil teacher who wouldn't give the kid his way? Sounds like it could happen.

I'm not saying the teacher is blameless. She should have handled it better, definitely. However, if I had a large boy that physically overpowered me, and I felt threatened he might've gotten a smack from me, too.

Obviously, teaching is not for her, and that kid needs to learn some respect. Before he ends up on this site, himself.

**Pene784** · September 16th, 2009, 12:59 AM

I personally worked with children for 7 years (5 years with children ages 4-18 and 2 years with children ages 0-12). Many of the older children that I worked with had behavioral issues, namely they liked to defy authority at every turn. Most, not all, but most were being raised by a single mother with no father in sight and received no physical discipline. These kids felt free to assault school staff because they were aware: 1. staff was not allowed to fight back 2. the punishment would be minimal . A staff member who dared raise a hand in defense was fired. I remember when I went to school our principal could and would paddle children that misbehaved and we all walked the line to avoid such a punishment. And if you did do something to get paddled in school you better beware because you were going to be paddled again when you got home because your parents had already been notified!

**Thinkgoat** · September 16th, 2009, 01:18 AM

Swatting the ass and slapping the face are two totally different things in my book. Corporal punishment is still legal in 22 states, Florida being one. While I don't agree with teachers doling out the punishment, I don't have a problem with the head administrator doing it, that way - hopefully - the force behind the paddle would be the same. Teachers are vindictive. Yes, I know, they put up with a lot of shit. The thing is, they knew this signing up for the job. That doesn't mean they have to become victims themselves but fuck, teachers (or substitutes) can't go around slapping children in the fucking face. Belligerent or not, no damn way does an instructor have that right.